Annette Vaughan is a 40-something self-proclaimed “slow runner” who started running at the age of 30. She is one of your Run Oregon bloggers, a personal trainer, race director, and lover of pretty much all things active.
Annette at the Wenatchee Half Marathon.
Favorite running shoes: Nike Frees
Favorite time of year for running: Summer and fall – I love running in dry, sunny weather.
Favorite running gadget: My Garmin Forerunner 610
Something you can’t run without: My “running gum.” Spearmint flavored Extra is my must-have. (I will run with another brand/flavor if I have to, but I’ve gotta have gum!)
Pre-run rituals: My running warm-up exercises. I make sure to get my exercises in before I leave the house or I do a modified version of them outdoors if I’m short on time.
Post-run rituals: Stretching and my running cool-down exercises. After my Saturday long runs (or races) I enjoy my Chai Latte while hanging out with my running friends at Starbucks.
Go-to Pre-race meal: Before a half marathon I eat a cinnamon Pop-Tart (Don’t judge! It works for me.) and a banana. The night before I like to have spaghetti with meat sauce.
Group Running or Solo Runs: Yes! During the week I usually run solo and on Saturday mornings I meet up with friends for a run. The best of both worlds.
Music or no music: I save the music for my solo long training runs or races so that it feels like a special treat. Sometimes I break it out on shorter running days if it seems like it’s going to be a tough one and I might need some extra motivation.
Speed work: Ugh! I really don’t enjoy it. I prefer to do speed work in the form of hill repeats. For some reason that’s the most bearable. But, I definitely don’t do it often enough. (I guess we know why I’m slow, huh?)
Cross Training: Yes! Yes! Yes! I do strength workouts, Range of Motion work, and a variety of other activities (like biking, walking, etc.) on my non-running days. I am a huge proponent of getting movement in every direction to help prevent injury.
Treadmill: Nooooooo! I would rather run barefoot uphill on ice in a blizzard than get on a treadmill. The farthest I’ve ever run on one is 3 miles. I thought I was going to die that day.
First race: Race for the Roses 5K in 2001.
Favorite running destination: Sunriver, Oregon. Whether doing training runs or racing, I love running in the sunshine on the many trails there.
Running pet peeves: 1) Runners that don’t acknowledge you. (You don’t have to talk to me, but give me a head nod or a wave or something!) 2) People who don’t have their dogs on leashes.
Something most Run Oregon readers don’t know about you: I’m scared of dogs – which explains my running pet peeve #2.
Embarrassing running moment: (Spoiler alert! This is not for the faint of heart.) I was running with a friend on a cold winter day. The cold air was giving me the sniffles. As my friend and I headed down the trail, two nice-looking young guys were running towards us. As they got close enough to acknowledge, I greeted them with a “Good morning,” timed perfectly with the involuntary formation of a giant snot bubble. Not my finest moment.
Happiest running moment: When I ran a mile for the first time without stopping. That was the beginning of many more happy running moments.
Keep running, friends, and keep those happy moments coming.
A few of my favorite things.
